Jats refuse to withdraw pro-quota stir, accuse Haryana CM of resisting their demand

Agitation turns violent, mobile internet blocked in Rohtak

Jat leaders today refused to withdraw their agitation till a legislation is passed giving quota to the community under OBC even as the authorities in the worst-affected district suspended Internet and mobile SMS services due to the stir which has disrupted rail and road traffic.

The protesters accused Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of resisting their demand as he was "not from the community" even as the state government called an all-party meeting to end the impasse.

Normal life was badly hit as the ongoing Jat agitation for quotas spread to more parts of Haryana after talks between community leaders and the government failed to break the deadlock, even as prohibitory orders were clamped in Rohtak, banning assembly of five or more persons.

 
The agitation spread to Kaithal, Karnal, Jind and other districts, disrupting road and rail traffic as protestors blocked various highways and railway lines.

While college and university students had yesterday joined the protest at Rohtak, today students from various places, including Hisar, Kurukshetra and Kaithal also joined them. Jats are demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions under OBC category.

While rail and road traffic has been worst hit in the Rohtak-Jhajjar region, the epicentre of the protests, Bhiwani, Sonipat, Hisar have also been adversely hit by the agitation.

The protesters, who last evening rejected Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's offer to enhance quota for economically backward classes to include Jats, also blocked roads in many places in Panipat which also affected movement of vehicles towards Uttar Pradesh.

Due to the blockades set up by the agitators, Haryana Roadways suspended its bus services on many affected routes.

The Rohtak administration today imposed prohibitory orders in the entire district banning assembly of five or more persons.

Rohtak is the native place of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Parliamentary Constituency represented by his son, Deepinder.

"Section 144 has been imposed with immediate effect from today in Rohtak," Additional Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri said.

Noting that the protesters have been asked to clear the blockades and disperse, he said, "We have warned them first and are hoping they will comply."

The orders were passed by Rohtak's Deputy Commissioner D K Behera amid reports that anti-social elements might join protesters to disturb law and order situation in the district.

Khatri said paramilitary forces have been put on standby in the district.

Traders and advocates today clashed outside the court premises at Rohtak during a protest in connection with the ongoing agitation by members of Jat community.

Advocates of the district court at Rohtak were protesting over non-inclusion of Jat community in the OBC category outside the court premises from where traders of the city were passing in a procession to submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, police said.

Some unidentified persons also set on fire a motorcycle in Rohtak.

As the protests continued, supply of milk, vegetables, fruits and other items on the national highway connecting Rohtak with other parts of the state and NCR was also affected.

Meanwhile, blockade also continued on roads from Rohtak to Delhi, and roads to Sonipat, Jhajjar remained blocked while those leading to Hisar, Jind and Bhiwani were also affected.

Railway traffic on the Rohtak-Delhi section was affected due to the agitation, officials said, adding many trains had been cancelled or diverted through alternative routes.

Jat protesters have blocked Badahurgarh-Delhi road at Bahadurgarh affecting vehicular movement to Delhi from Haryana. They have also blocked Saharanpur-Kurukshetra road at Pipli, Ladwa in Kurukshetra district and Radaur of Yamunanagar district while several roads in Hisar and Hansi also remained blocked.

A 'kutcha' road, which was being used by people for going to Bhiwani as the protesters had blocked main road, was dug up by protesters at Charkhi-Dadri today.

Managements of private schools, which fall in the affected areas, have also declared holidays due to the stir while Maharishi Dayanand University announced postponement of some of its undergraduate and postgraduate examinations that were scheduled to be held between February 17-22.

A group of Kurukshetra University students, belonging to the Jat community, held a demonstration in the KU today over the reservation issue. They held demonstration in front of Vice-Chancellor's office and raised slogans against the BJP-led state government.

Later, the students led a procession to Jat Dharamsala at Kurukshetra, where other members from the community joined them. They sat on 'dharna' on Kurukshetra-Pehowa road and blocked vehicular traffic.

Police diverted the traffic from Panorama chowk to Pehowa road via out-ring road from Jhansa road.

The protesters also blocked all main roads in Jind district including those leading to Patiala, Panipat, Kaithal, Rohtak, Gohana, Hansi and Bhiwani.

Meanwhile, INLD senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala, who is also Leader of Opposition in Haryana assembly, today demanded that a session of state assembly be convened immediately on the Jat stir issue.

Chautala said a two-line resolution should be passed in the assembly and later forwarded to the Centre favouring reservation for Jats and other communities, including Jat-Sikhs, Tyagi, Ror and Bishnois.

The reservation benefit which the Jats are getting in four states should be implemented in entire country, he said in a statement.

Chautala also appealed to various communities to maintain peace and brotherhood and not lend an ear to any rumour which may disturb peace.